INDIANA – The Indiana Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee has advanced House Bill 1114, which aims to increase penalties for individuals who drive without a license and cause a fatality.
Sponsored by Senators Eric Koch and Cyndi Carrasco and authored by Representative Alex Zimmerman, the bill addresses what lawmakers perceive as a gap in current legislation. Rep. Zimmerman testified that the existing law does not adequately penalize those who drive without a license and cause death.
HB 1114 proposes to align the penalties for driving without a license causing death with those already in place for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license causing death. The bill also includes provisions addressing driver’s licenses and insurance fraud.
The bill underwent an amendment by consent during the March 21, 2025, committee hearing. This amendment removed language that would have required vehicle impoundment and provisions related to paying insurance deductibles.
The committee heard public testimony in support of and in opposition to the proposed legislation.
Despite the divided public opinion, the amended bill passed the committee with a 7-2 vote.
The full text of HB 1114 can be accessed on the Indiana General Assembly website: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/house/1114.
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